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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
ATLANTA - Maryland hasn't forgotten blowing a 22-point lead to Duke in the national semifinals last season. \nBut the Terrapins almost suffered déjà vu Saturday against Kansas, again in the national semifinal. Maryland let a 20-point lead shrink to four before holding off the Jayhawks 97-88 in front of 53,378 Georgia Dome fans.\nThe victory puts Maryland in its first-ever national title game, facing IU at 9:18 p.m. tonight. \nMaryland All-American guard Juan Dixon led the Terrapins with a game-high 33 points, tying his career best. Chris Wilcox added 18 for Maryland, which had four players in double figures.\nFive Jayhawks had double digits, with forward Nick Collison's 21 leading the way. \nDixon was nearly unstoppable, hitting 10 of 18 field goals (5 of 11 three-pointers), but Terrapin forward Lonny Baxter battled foul trouble and played only 14 minutes. Baxter scored only four points and took just four shots before fouling out. \nBaxter's absence allowed Kansas to race to a 13-2 lead four minutes into the game, but Maryland trimmed that lead to three within four more minutes and led 44-37 at the break. \nKansas cut the lead to four in the second half, at 56-52, but Maryland used a 27-11 run to break open a 20-point lead with 6:10 remaining. \n"We missed some shots, make some mistakes…all of the sudden, it's an 18-point game," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. For a while, it looked like Kansas might complete a comeback comparable to that of Duke's against Maryland last season. The Jayhawks used a 10-0 run to cut the lead to eight, then trimmed it to four with 20 seconds left on a three-pointer by forward Drew Gooden, who finished with 15 points. \nBut Kansas tried to call a timeout after the three pointer and didn't have any left, resulting in a technical foul. Dixon hit one of two free throws to seal the win. \n"We stayed strong," Dixon said. "We grew up a lot over the last year or so. Hopefully, we'll go out and get one more"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
ATLANTA -- Dane Fife writes this story every week. \nThe senior's defense shuts down an opponent's top scorer, frustrates him and then the opponent smiles about it afterward. \nSaturday was no different. Just ask Oklahoma leading scorer Hollis Price. \n"Fife did a great job," Price said. "He was so physical. I usually get around that. But tonight, I just didn't overcome it. He did a great job."\nPrice finished 1 of 11 from the field and scored a season-low six points. He missed six of his seven three-pointers after shooting 39 percent from there this season, committed two turnovers and was never a factor in IU's 73-64 national semifinal victory in the Georgia Dome. \nFife, who is tied with Steve Alford for IU's all-time mark with 178 steals, held Duke's Mike Dunleavy to 5-of-16 shooting during the regional semifinals and helped buckle down Kent State's Trevor Huffman to 2 of 7 from the floor during the regional final. \nHe'll be expected to do the same tonight against Maryland's Juan Dixon, who is scoring 27.4 points per game in the tournament this season. But Saturday, the focus was on Price, his struggles and Fife's approach. \n"Mainly, I just wanted to keep in front of him," Fife said. "I think he missed his share of open shots, which really had nothing to do with our defense."\nBut it did. \nFife pestered Price, whose only bucket came nearly 35 minutes into the game, then got help from the IU front line when Price managed to beat Fife off the dribble or around a screen. \nIU blocked eight shots and protected the lane while Fife did the chasing. Fife has been accused of playing "dirty" this season, but he denied that during the week leading up to the game, instead saying he gets under the skin of top scorers.\nPrice maintained his composure, but his game was off-track. \n"Hollis Price is a big-time basketball player, big-time basketball player," IU coach Mike Davis said. "For him to go 1 for 11 hurt them, and Dane had a lot to do with that."\nLEACH LURKING\nIU's bench had scored at least 18 points in the last six games before Saturday, when it erupted for a season-best 41 points. Oklahoma's reserves scored just 12 points. \n"We have nine players who can really go out there and play," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said.\nThe ninth, sophomore center George Leach, played only six minutes against the Sooners, but blocked two shots and scored three points. It was the first time Leach scored since a Feb. 13 loss to Wisconsin, when he scored five points. \nWithin seconds of checking into the game in the first half, Leach swatted two shots and changed another, slammed home a jam and hit a free throw. \n"I was thinking 'Don't mess up. Don't mess up,'" Leach joked after the game. "After the second block, I guess I got my poise a little bit, and I was fine after that."\nIU's bench has outscored its opponents reserves 121-65 in the tournament and has not been outscored since the first-round win against Utah. \nCLOSING IN... AND ADDING ON\nSophomore forward Jared Jeffries scored eight points Saturday, moving him within nine of 1,000 career points. \nJeffries has scored 991 career points, good for 36th on IU's all-time scoring list. Jeffries needs 40 points to pass Butch Joyner (1966-1968) to move to 35th. \nShould Jeffries score nine points against Maryland tonight, he will become just the fifth Hoosier sophomore to score 1,000 points. The others are Calbert Cheaney, Steve Alford, Don Schlundt, Mike Woodson and Jay Edwards. \nFife, Hornsby and junior guard Tom Coverdale are all in the top 10 in IU history for most three pointers in one season. Coverdale and Hornsby each have 68 three pointers, tying them for sixth all-time. Fife has 63, good for ninth. Alford holds the record with 107 in one season, and Edwards is second with 81. \nIU extended its single-season blocks record with eight more Saturday. The Hoosiers have now blocked 189 shots this season, erasing the old mark of 178, set last season. \n'BRAND' NEW TRADITION\nIU President Myles Brand stood outside the interview room in the Georgia Dome Saturday smiling after hearing IU coach Mike Davis wrap up his press conference. \nBrand, who received the game ball from Davis after IU clinched a Final Four berth against Kent State March 23, had nothing but praise for Davis, who has landed IU in the championship game in just his second season as the IU coach -- it's his first season as the head coach, after completing last year as the interim coach after Brand fired Bob Knight. \n"It's incredible," Brand said of IU's run to the national title game. "It keeps getting better and better."\nAnd what about IU's chances to clinch the school's first national championship in 15 years tonight? \n"We're going to win," Brand said without hesitation and with another wide smile.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
ATLANTA -- Steve Blake is about the only person outside the IU locker room that picked the Hoosiers to do some NCAA Tournament damage. \nBlake, Maryland's junior point guard, penciled in IU to knock off top-ranked Duke in the Sweet 16. His teammates thought he was crazy. \nEven Hoosiers Dane Fife and Kyle Hornsby and IU coach Mike Davis admitted they are still trying to get a grip on reality -- deep down, they didn't think they'd be playing in April for the national championship.\nEveryone but Blake was wrong, and now Blake's Terrapins and those never-say-die Hoosiers meet for the national championship at 9:18 p.m. tonight in the Georgia Dome.\n"I was one of the few who picked them," Blake said Sunday. "They have Jared Jeffries down low and those hot three-point shooters. They can beat anybody."\nIU did just that Saturday by advancing to the sixth national title game in school history via a 73-64 win over No. 3 Oklahoma Saturday in the national semifinal. No. 4 Maryland, the East Regional champion and top seed, moved to the title tilt with a 97-88 win over No. 2 Kansas. \nTonight, as the Hoosiers search for their sixth NCAA crown in school history, Maryland hopes to land its first. IU is 5-0 all-time in national championship games.\n"It's been hard to stop smiling," IU junior guard Tom Coverdale said. "We're going to have to play one of our best games of the season to beat them."\nBoth teams are on a roll. Maryland (31-4) has won 18 of its last 19 games, and IU (25-11) is riding a season-best five-game win streak. \nBut the road to the final game each team has taken isn't so similar. The Hoosiers and Terrapins play contrasting styles and have far-from-symmetrical rosters. \nBlake leads a Maryland offense that scoots up and down the floor while scoring an average of 85.6 points per contest. Maryland has scored less than 70 points just three times all year and has four players scoring double figures. IU has scored 80 or more just six times this season.\nSenior All-American guard Juan Dixon leads the Maryland charge at better than 20 points per game and scored a career-high 33 in the Terrapin win over Kansas Saturday. \nFife, a senior guard, limited Oklahoma standout Hollis Price to six points on 1-of-11 shooting Saturday, and will draw Dixon tonight. \nHow do you stop a man who is Maryland's all-time leading scorer and has scored an average of 27.4 points per game in the five NCAA Tournament games this season? \n"Very good question," Fife said. "It's very hard to stop a guy like Juan Dixon."\nAnd Dixon has company -- from outside and inside. \nBlake, who said the Terrapins will be comfortable playing their usual up-tempo style or grinding it out like IU prefers, averages only eight points per game, but has dished out eight assists per game. Most of those passes land in the post, where Terrapin big-bodies Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox combine to score 27.5 points and grab 15.2 rebounds per game. Both shoot better than 50 percent from the floor. Baxter stands at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds. Wilcox is 6-10, 220. \nOnly two IU players weigh more than 220. \n"Wilcox is a big-time basketball player," Davis said. "He's athletic, can run and jump. And Baxter is a handful."\nIU faced a similar strong, physical front line against Oklahoma and Sooner forward Aaron McGhee, who poured in a game-high 22 points before fouling out. \nThe Hoosiers pushed back against Oklahoma and plan to do the same tonight against Baxter, who scored just four points while in foul trouble against Kansas. \n"Baxter's strength will be a problem," Jeffries said before calling IU's frontcourt "frail," rather than thin. "But we have to put pressure on them and get them in foul trouble." \nAnd Jeffries has to avoid foul trouble, something he didn't do Saturday, collecting two fouls early and resting the final 12 minutes of the half. \nAs impressed with Maryland as IU is, the Terrapins are returning the compliments. Blake said he is "concerned" about IU's deadeye from the three-point line, where the Hoosiers have connected on 23 of their last 32 shots (71.9 percent). Coverdale, who is 8 for his last 17 from the arc, is expected to again start, despite his sprained left ankle.\nAnd then there's IU's defense and it's improbable tournament run, although Terrapin coach Gary Williams isn't buying the latter. \n"Any team that's gotten where Indiana has gotten, you don't look at their record, you look at how they're playing the game," Williams said. "Any team that plays defense like they do, they have a chance to beat anybody."\nAnd then there's Jeffries, who blasted Duke for 24 points before taking a back seat in IU's last two victories. Junior Jeff Newton, senior Jarrad Odle and junior George Leach -- the trio combined for 33 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots Saturday -- have filled the scoring void and helped raise the production of IU's front line, one Wilcox compared to that of Kansas. \nThe only other connection the Hoosiers have with the Jayhawks is that they could tie Kansas for the most losses by a national champion. The Jayhawks won the title in 1988 with a 26-11 record. IU is 25-11, with the idea of boosting the tradition-rich program. \n"To be playing in the national championship game with the chance to take that banner home, it really says a lot for this team," said Odle, a senior. "To be a national champion, I think there's no better way to spend the rest of my life."\nEven if you didn't think you'd get there in the first place.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
ATLANTA -- It wasn't supposed to end this way. \nNot after surviving the first two rounds for the first time in eight years. Not after shocking top-ranked Duke. Not after slipping past No. 3 Oklahoma to complete an improbable run to the NCAA championship game. \nBut it did.\nIU's wild, crazy and unexpected chase for the school's sixth NCAA crown came up short Monday in the Georgia Dome. Maryland jumped to an early lead and never let IU get control of the game before winning its first national title in its first title game 64-52 in front of 53,406 fans. \nSenior guard Juan Dixon, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, led No. 4 Maryland (32-4) with 18 points. Junior guard Kyle Hornsby led IU (25-12) with 14. Only he and senior guard Dane Fife (11 points) finished in double figures. \n"We had a chance tonight, but Maryland is a much better basketball team," IU coach Mike Davis said. "We missed a couple of shots, gambled defensively. It was them more than us."\nIU clawed back from an 11-point first half deficit to take a 44-42 lead, its first lead of the game, on a Jared Jeffries bucket with 9:53 remaining, but Dixon answered with a three-pointer to give the lead back to the Terps, and Maryland closed the game with a 22-8 run to give coach Gary Williams his first win over IU in eight career tries. \nIU got the slow-down tempo it wanted, but Maryland's defense forced IU to run a helter-skelter offense. IU regularly began its offensive set with less than 20 seconds remaining on the shot clock, and looked shaken nearly the entire game. A calm during the storm ignited IU's comeback, but it wasn't enough. \n"We just settled down a little bit," junior guard Tom Coverdale said. "Once we calmed down, our offense got a lot better."\nBut Williams credited IU's defense, which held the Terrapins to 43.8 percent, to shutting down Maryland just enough for the Hoosiers to stay in the game. \n"We had to really work hard because Indiana plays great defense," Williams said. "It took us 25 minutes until we ran our offense. When we finally started to play our game, we were all right."\nOnce Maryland figured it out, it wiped out IU's comeback effort, showed signs of an offense that averages 85 points per game and then played some defense of its own. \nIU, which entered the game with the top shooting percentage of any NCAA tournament team, never established an inside presence and finished the night shooting just 10 of 35 from inside the three-point arc. IU hit 34.5 percent from the floor, its lowest percentage since shooting 28 percent against Penn State Jan. 5. \nThree-point shooting kept IU in the game in both the first and second halves. IU finished the night 10 of 23 from the arc, but at the at the 14:10 mark in the second half, IU was seven of 11 from three-point land and five of 24 from inside the arc. From that point on, IU hit just two of 12 threes and eight of 23 shots from the field.\nIU's three forwards -- Jeffries, Jarrad Odle and Jeff Newton -- finished the night with just 14 combined points. Odle, IU's third-leading scorer, did not make a shot. \nSimilar to Saturday's win over Oklahoma in the semifinals, Jeffries picked up two early fouls and was one the bench at the 12-minute mark in the first half. Jeffries scored just two first-half points and committed two turnovers. \nThe Hoosier sophomore All-American finished four of 11 from the field and committed four turnovers. He finished with eight points and scored just 16 in IU's two Final Four contests. \nDixon, Maryland's all-time leading scorer, scored a tournament-low 18 points, but racked up 11 of those within the first 10 minutes of the game. Fife kept Dixon from getting good looks, but Baxter and a balanced Maryland attack solved IU's defense. \n"I tried to play my game, be patient," Dixon said. "I let the game come to me."\nIU had a number of chances to close the gap and push ahead, but let nearly each one slip away.\nThe Hoosiers held Maryland scoreless for over five minutes in the first half, but missed four free throws -- two front ends to one-and-ones -- and put up only two points during that stretch. \nA Coverdale bank shot in the lane finished off a seven to two run to close the half and it closed the Maryland gap, which had been as many as 11, to 31-25. IU shot just 32 percent in the first half.\nFor IU, it is the school's first-ever loss in the national championship game. IU was the second No. 5 seed to advance to the championship game and charged on a tournament run very few people figured could happen. But the sense of accomplishment was not any consolation for the Hoosiers, who somberly trudged off the Georgia Dome floor in the wake of the Maryland celebration. \n"It was good proving people wrong," sophomore guard A.J. Moye said. "But it would have been better proving the whole world wrong." \nIt was a Cinderella run that went awry on the night of its last dance.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
A little more than 12 hours after falling short in the NCAA championship game, a tired IU men's basketball team returned to Bloomington around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday and received a warm welcome from several hundred Hoosier fans. \nThe IU faithful welcomed the team bus back from the airport and followed the Hoosiers inside Assembly Hall, where seniors Dane Fife and Jarrad Odle addressed the gathering of fans and media. \nAnother pep rally to honor both the men's and women's team is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight in Assembly Hall. Doors open at 6:30. \n"We're the only team that can lose a game, come home and still have people show up for them," a visibly worn down Odle said after a yawn. "We appreciate everything you did for us these last few weeks." \nIU's unexpected run to the national title game ended with a 64-52 loss to Maryland and denied IU its sixth NCAA crown in school history. Still, the Hoosiers notched their eighth Final Four appearance and became just the second No. 5 seed to advance as far as the title game. No No. 5 seed has ever won an NCAA championship. \nAll along the way, IU fans ventured out to back the Hoosiers. About 18,000 of the 23,000 fans in Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., were Hoosier boosters, and more than half of the more than 53,000 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Monday for the title game were wearing cream and crimson. \n"I hope you enjoyed this as much as we did," Fife said to the fans Tuesday. "We're sorry we didn't bring home a championship, but we brought IU back to where it is supposed to be." \nThe team, which bunched near mid-court and faced the fans, appeared for only five minutes before retreating to the locker room. Fans huddled around sophomore Jared Jeffries, junior Kyle Hornsby and Coach Mike Davis in search of autographs, and TV cameras swar-med the threesome probing for more reaction to IU's first Final Four trip since 1992 and its first national title game appearance since 1987. \nAbout 6,000 fans showed up in Assembly Hall March 27 for a send-off rally before the team left for Atlanta, and another large crowd is expected tonight for the season-ending pep rally, which has been dubbed "A Celebration of Excellence," to honor the achievements of both the men's and women's teams. \nThe men captured their first Big Ten title since 1993 and surprised the nation with its self-appointed Cinderella Final Four run. The women's team raced through the Big Ten Tournament, beating Iowa Purdue and Penn State -- all three teams were seeded higher than the Hoosiers -- to win the title and earn its first NCAA Tournament since 1995. \nTonight's rally is free and seats will be available on the Assembly Hall floor as well as in the stands. \nONE MORE POINT\nJeffries, who scored a combined 16 points in IU's two Final Four games, ended his sophomore season with 999 career points. \nJeffries, who averaged better than 15 points per game, scored just eight points in IU's loss to Maryland and was 4 of 11 from the field.\nThe 999 career points put him 36th on IU's all-time scoring list. Had Jeffries scored 1,000 points in his first two seasons, he would have been just the sixth Hoosier to do so. The others are Calbert Cheaney, Jay Edwards, Steve Alford, Mike Woodson and Don Schlundt. \n"I'm disappointed," Jeffries said regarding the team's loss and deflecting assessment of his own record-setting pace. "We could have done something special and we just didn't get it done."\nFIFE STEALS RECORD\nWith two steals against Maryland, Fife eclipsed the career steals mark which was previously owned by Alford. \nFife ended his career with 180 career steals, two ahead of Alford's 178. But it took Fife a while to get there. The defensive stopper, who held Duke's Mike Dunleavy to 5-of-16 shooting in the South Regional Semifinal, helped keep Kent State's Trevor Huffman to 2 of 7 and limited Maryland's Juan Dixon to single-digit shot attempts for just the fifth time this season, was stuck on 178 career steals since IU's win over Duke.\nFife couldn't manage any steals against Kent State or Oklahoma, but he held Sooner star Hollis Price to six points on 1-of-11 shooting. \nALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM\nTwo Hoosiers were named to the Final Four's All-Tournament team. \nHornsby and Fife joined Maryland's Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox. Dixon, who scored 33 points in the Terrapins' semifinal win over Kansas and 18 against IU, was named the Most Outstanding Player. \nHornsby led IU in scoring Monday with 14 points. Hornsby hit 4 of 8 three-pointers and 5 of 12 from the field. Fife, who was likely named because of his defensive efforts, scored 11 points Monday and three points against Oklahoma.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
He's gone. \nOne week after IU's loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament championship game, IU sophomore Jared Jeffries declared himself eligible for the June NBA Draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility. \n"All my life, I've had two dreams -- the first was to hear my name called on college graduation day," Jeffries said in a press conference in Assembly Hall Monday afternoon, when he made the formal announcement. "The second was to hear my name called in the NBA Draft."\nJeffries, a Bloomington High School North graduate, said he plans to hire an agent as early as today. That decision will make him ineligible to return to IU for his junior season. The former Indiana Mr. Basketball had until May 12 to enter the draft. \nJeffries becomes the second player in as many years to leave the program early. Kirk Haston left IU after his junior season and was selected 16th by the Charlotte Hornets. Haston, who redshirted a season for the Hoosiers, earned his degree before leaving. \nJeffries, a communications major, will finish classes this semester at IU and said he plans to earn his degree in "four or five summers." \nJoining Jeffries for the press conference were his mother, father, grandmother and brother. IU coach Mike Davis was not present, as he was home with the flu. Davis' wife, Tamilya, was there. Jeffries said he notified Davis of his decision Wednesday, but the two have not spoken in the last 48 hours. \n"He was very supportive," said Jeffries of Davis. "I'm going to talk to him all the time. We're very good friends. Maybe he will coach my son someday (in the NBA). You never know."\nJeffries, who averaged 15 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, fizzled during both of IU's Final Four games. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound Jeffries scored just 16 points in the two games and finished his career against Maryland by going four of 11 from the field. \n"I don't know if you can base a decision on one or two games," Jeffries said. "I would have loved to have scored 20 points and win a national title, but that didn't happen, so you can't worry about that."\nJeffries finished one point shy of becoming the 36th player in IU history to record 1,000 career points and would have been just the sixth sophomore to do so. \nHis naysayers point to his disappointing performance in the Final Four and his lack of bulk as deterrents for entering the draft. \n"He could use another year to round out his game," Rivalshoops.com college basketball analyst Mike Sullivan said. "I think it would help tremendously. There's so much homework you have to do; hopefully, he's done that."\nAt least one teammate was sure Jeffries is ready now. \n"With his talent, he'd be crazy not to go," IU senior guard Dane Fife said after IU's loss to Maryland.\nJeffries said he isn't sure where he'll be selected, but seems confident he'll be a first-round pick. Jeffries plans to attend a pre-draft camp in Chicago, after which he will have a better idea regarding his draft position. \nAfter deciding after his freshman season to continue at IU rather than head for the draft, Jeffries said he knew his intentions nearly all season. His parents asked him to stay after his freshman season, but saw nothing wrong with his decision to leave now. \n"The only way I was going to influence that is if I felt he was doing something outlandish," said Jeffries' father, Tom. \nTom and Jared spent the weekend fishing in Kentucky and discussed the younger Jeffries' future there, after the clamor of IU's first Final Four run since 1992 died down. \nBut by then, the IU standout needed only reassurance. After spending time this season talking to players his same age who have entered the NBA Draft early -- including former Indiana high school standout Zach Randolph -- Jeffries, decided it was time to go. \n"My dad made a very good point: The best way to prepare is on the job," Jeffries said.\n"I'm going to prepare myself for the NBA, and the best way to do that is on the job."\nWith an often-criticized body, Jeffries said he understands he will have to spend time adding weight and rounding out his game. He said he wasn't sure what position he'll play, and Sullivan agrees, saying Jeffries doesn't fit into any prototypical NBA position.\nJeffries said he's not making the decision to silence doubters and said he hopes IU fans anxious for one more year with Jeffries in the Hoosier frontcourt understand his move. \nDuring his two-year stay at IU, Jeffries helped IU return to its glory of nearly a decade ago by leading the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten title since 1993 and the first NCAA championship game since 1987. \n"I realize in no way am I a finished basketball product," Jeffries said. "I know I must develop in order to meet the demands of NBA basketball, but there's no looking back now. At a certain point, you have to make decisions for yourself. I would love to be back with this team. But, I also feel like the opportunity for me to play in the NBA is now"
(06/13/02 5:26am)
Milosevic attacks testimony of U.S. ambassador\nTHE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic challenged the testimony of an American ambassador Wednesday, reaching back to the Iran-Contra scandal of the late 1980s in an attempt to discredit the U.S. envoy. At his War Crimes Tribunal, Milosevic cross-examined William Walker, the former U.S. head of a Kosovo peacekeeping mission, about his testimony that he saw piles of bodies at Racak, a massacre that focused world attention on atrocities by Serb forces. As head of the mission for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in the late 1990s, Walker was charged with monitoring human rights abuses\nPowell considers possibilities for Palestinian state\nWASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said today the Bush administration is talking to other countries about setting up a provisional Palestinian state and that the proposal will be taken up at a Mideast peace conference this summer. Sharply disagreeing with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Powell said "we are not in line with his position that we should not work with Chairman (Yasser) Arafat." Other top Bush administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, have questioned whether the administration should continue dealing with Arafat as a peace partner.\nJournalist tried for breaking country's new media laws\nHARARE, Zimbabwe -- An American working for a British newspaper, the first journalist to be tried under tough new media laws some see as an attack on free speech in Zimbabwe, pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges he knowingly published false information on alleged political violence. U.S. citizen Andrew Meldrum, 50, a correspondent for the British newspaper The Guardian, faces two years in prison if found guilty by the Harare magistrate's court.\nFrench arrest five in shoe bomb investigation\nPARIS -- French anti-terrorist police rounded up five people on Wednesday who are suspected of providing assistance to alleged shoe bomber Richard C. Reid in Paris, the second such sweep in two months. The arrests came as officials in Germany said they had received intelligence of a possible al-Qaida plot to shoot down civilian airliners. Separately, Indian officials claimed they had evidence of an imminent al-Qaida attack on financial institutions in Bombay. And Britain said it was forming a 6,000-strong reaction unit in case of a Sept. 11-style attack.\nRumsfeld sees indications of al-Qaida in Kashmir\nNEW DELHI, India -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday he has seen "indications" of al-Qaida operations near the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. \n"I don't have any hard evidence of how many or where," Rumsfeld told a news conference after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during a high-stakes mission to avert war.\n11 killed in attack on bus in Algeria\nALGIERS, Algeria -- Alleged Islamic militants opened fire on a bus in Algeria, killing 11 people, the North African nation's official news service said. Ten others were wounded. The local bus in the city of Medea, about 45 miles southeast of the capital, Algiers, had pulled up to a stop Tuesday evening when armed attackers sprayed it with gunfire, the APS news agency said.
(04/04/02 5:17am)
IU's three-point bonanza against Illinois -- 17 of 27 from beyond the arc -- was amazing, but it wasn't a fluke. \nThe Hoosiers weren't shy about proving it, either.\nThey did nearly the same against Iowa. And then Kent State. And Oklahoma. For IU, a three pointer must have looked like a free throw. Or even a better look. \nThe Hoosiers shredded the record book, firing up 617 three pointers this season and sinking 270 of them. Both numbers are school records by a big, big margin. \nThe previous marks were 534 attempts in 1998-1999 and 197 made three pointers in 1992-1993.\n"You have to pick your poison," former Kent State coach Stan Heath said after IU hit 15-of-19 three-point tries in the South Regional Final. \nAs in guard IU's inside combination of Jared Jeffries, Jarrad Odle and Jeff Newton or defend the record-breaking outside shooting. Most teams couldn't decide what approach to take, but if they decided on Jeffries, the Hoosiers fired at will. \nSenior Dane Fife and juniors Kyle Hornsby and Tom Coverdale all recorded seasons that put them in the top 10 for three pointers made in a single season. Fife hit 66 of 138 for the season, and his 48 percent shooting clip is good for seventh-best season in IU history. The 66 made threes are also sixth-best in history. Prior to this season, Fife combined to hit just 33 threes in three seasons. His 48 percent was the best single-season percentage since Pat Graham shot 57 percent in 1993-1994.\nHornsby boosted his career three-point stats by draining 72 of 161 threes this season, good for 45 percent. The 72 threes is tied with A.J. Guyton for fifth-most in IU history. \nWhat is more remarkable is that Hornsby hit a similar percentage of his shots from the free-throw line as he did from the three-point arc. The third guard in IU's three-guard lineup hit 56 percent from the foul line. \nCoverdale jacked up 189 three pointers, the second-most in IU history behind Steve Alford's 202 attempts in 1986-1987. IU's point guard hit 70 of those attempts, good for the sixth-best single-season effort of all-time. \n"We shoot the ball well in practice all the time," Hornsby said. "It is something else to do it in a game with the pressure on you. You have to be focused and really be in tuned with what you are doing."\nIU wasn't shaken in big games. The Hoosiers hit 10 or more three pointers 10 times this season and hit less than five in only eight games. But the best performances came in the NCAA Tournament, during which IU hit 47 of 93 (51 percent). \nSeven different Hoosiers connected on three pointers during the tournament run to the NCAA championship game. Only Jeffries, who hit 3 of 11, shot lower than 42 percent. \n"When their three-point shooters get hot, they can beat anyone," Maryland junior guard Steve Blake said of IU. \nAlmost. \nIU hit 7 of its first 11 three pointers against Maryland in the NCAA title game but missed 9 of its next 12. That was one of only a few cold spells this season for IU. \nThe Hoosiers shot 43.7 percent from the three-point line on the season, which ranks tied for fifth-best all-time, equaling the mark of the 1989-1990 squad. \nAnd it wasn't just IU's three guards who got into the act. \nJeffries hit 27 of 71 (38 percent), sophomore guard A.J. Moye drained 20 of 50 (40 percent) and Odle hit 4 of 9 (44 percent). Odle was 2 of 3 in NCAA play, including a key three at the close of the first half against Oklahoma. \nFreshman guard Donald Perry hit just 3-of-26 threes before the tournament but found his touch in the postseason, connecting on 4 of 5. And even Newton, a 6-foot-10 forward, hit 1-of-2 threes this season, flinging up a line drive from about 25 feet against Purdue and getting nothing but net. \nAnd the Hoosiers did all of that when the game plan this season wasn't to shoot, shoot, shoot. \n"Our first option is always to go inside," IU coach Mike Davis said.\nAnd when that didn't work, the Hoosiers just wiped out teams -- and records -- three points at a time.
(04/04/02 5:16am)
ATLANTA -- The stereotype fits these Hoosiers, even if they didn't win the national championship.\nA basketball goal hanging off the side of a barn or planted in the ground just off the driveway. A blond-haired kid shooting somewhere around 200 jump shots a day, dribbling around chairs or bricks or cracks in the concrete. Seconds run off the imaginary clock…3…2…1…swish. Hoosiers win. (If that fateful shot doesn't go in? He was fouled.)\nDuring the days leading up to the Final Four and Monday night's NCAA championship game, the Hoosiers who are Indiana natives have been drilled about questions of the storied history of basketball in Indiana and at IU. \nThey've answered proudly and willingly. \n"Living in the state of Indiana with basketball being so rich in tradition…we're basically playing a kid's dream and living it out," senior Jarrad Odle said.\nThe tradition now includes a trip to the Final Four and a hero's treatment in Bloomington and across the state. These guys are Hoosier heroes up and down and through and through. \nOdle, Tom Coverdale, Jared Jeffries and Ryan Tapak all graduated from Indiana high schools. Scott May Jr. and Sean Kline are redshirts who grew up in Indiana, and fellow redshirt Mike Roberts lived in Terre Haute before moving to Oregon. \nDuring a five-year span where Indiana high school stars have sneaked over state lines to attend schools such as Wisconsin, Michigan State, Arizona and North Carolina, these Hoosiers stayed put. \n"Once (IU) offered me a scholarship, I didn't even consider any other school," junior point guard Tom Coverdale said. \nCoverdale was the state's Mr. Basketball at Noblesville High School in 1998, playing a steady style that has become the exact stereotype of basketball in Indiana. He isn't the fastest, quickest or most athletic, but he gets the job done through hard work and a dedication to the game. \nOdle and Tapak are of the same mold. But Jeffries, who admits he didn't follow IU basketball until high school, is a little different. He's loaded with natural gifts and even pokes fun at his not-so-athletic teammates -- including Odle, Coverdale and Tapak -- who have a hard time dunking. \nAnd after deciding on IU while at Bloomington High School North, he got caught up in the tradition of Hoosier hysteria and the support that has exploded this season. \n"Once you really get caught up in the tradition of Indiana, you get to see the fan support," Jeffries said. "For the last couple years, they haven't had a lot to cheer for. Right now, you see the pride in us winning."\nThere are certain factors that accompany winning and playing at IU, including history lessons on past championships, conversations with past Hoosier stars and pats on the back from a campus and a state in love with basketball. \n"Indiana is a great program, great basketball program, great school," Coach Mike Davis said. "It's bigger than anyone or anything."\nJeffries doesn't remember watching the 1987 title game, but Coverdale said he could recall it, at least the game-winning shot from Keith Smart. \nCoverdale has become a "good friend" of former Hoosier Tom Abernathy, who played on IU's 1976 championship team. Abernathy stopped by Coverdale's hotel room in Atlanta after the Hoosiers upended Oklahoma in the national semifinal Saturday night and told him to enjoy the run. \nStill, it hasn't hit home just yet for Coverdale, who said he is living a lifelong dream.\n"It will sink in a lot more once the season is over," he said Sunday. \nBut once the team returned to Bloomington, reality is certain to capture the Hoosiers. Especially for those who have dreamed of the candy-stripped pants and simple cream and crimson uniforms -- Davis said Sunday he doesn't foresee including names on the back of the jerseys. \n"To play in the national championship game with a chance to take that banner home, it really says a lot," Odle said.\n2002 Big Ten Champions. 2002 Final Four. 2002 National Runner-up.\nIndiana -- and its favorite sons -- couldn't be happier.
(04/01/02 7:35am)
ATLANTA -- Senior Jarrad Odle called Oklahoma's effort to get physical with IU "punking." \nIU "punked" back Saturday, and "punking" is something the Hoosiers are used to doing thanks to a grinding schedule and rough-and-tumble Big Ten play this season. \nYet, IU heard all week that Oklahoma was stronger, bigger and more physical. \nIf toughness -- call it "punking" if you'd rather -- is measured in physical features, like wide bodies and chiseled muscles, IU isn't exactly the best in the nation. But through 36 games, the Hoosiers have proven they can push, pull and punk with just about anyone. \n"We're a tougher team than a lot of people give us credit for," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said. "We really play hard and fight hard."\nThe defensive statistics, which often reveal the grit of a team, aren't overly convincing. IU is holding foes to 41 percent shooting from the field, 36 percent from the three-point line and has out-rebounded its opponents in half of the games. \nNot bad numbers and better than most. The 41 percent field goal defense was second-best in the Big Ten, and IU is limiting NCAA Tournament counterparts to just 31 percent from the three-point line. \nBut the substance to IU's tough demeanor is in its heart, effort and timing.\nSophomore Jared Jeffries played through hip and ankle injuries much of the second half of the season and Coverdale is battling a twice-sprained left ankle that limited him to crutches most of the week leading up to the Final Four. \nSophomore A.J. Moye is crazy about diving on the floor, and junior Jeff Newton has a knack for swatting shots into the second or third row. \nAll of that circles around defense, IU's staple and the project of associate head coach John Treloar, who coordinates the Hoosier defense and operates on a simple credo: Play defense or watch someone else do it. \nIU went toe-to-toe with physical teams like Kentucky, Michigan State, Louisville and Illinois. Then, against the team that was dubbed the toughest of the tough, the Hoosiers had their best effort. \nIU held Oklahoma to 36 percent from the field, 11 percent from the three-point line (2 of 18) and erased an early eight-point deficit to out-score the Sooners 43-30 in the second half. \nMost of that behind the efforts of the lanky Hoosier frontcourts mates Newton (210 pounds) and junior George Leach (220 pounds). Jeffries called IU's frontcourt "frail" Sunday, but both he and Odle agree that the Hoosiers aren't timid. \n"We can muscle up with anybody," said Odle, who spent much of the off-season bulking up in the weight room. "We stood up to them and didn't back down. As you go with a team like that throughout a game, eventually, they're going to back down."\nPart of that toughness has developed via the underdog role often slapped on IU's back. The Hoosiers were picked by many to lose early in the tournament and weren't given much of a chance to beat Duke and Oklahoma. \nIU coach Mike Davis has called the Hoosiers "Cinderella," and the Hoosiers have said they accept the underdog role, although they consider themselves a contender to win any game against any team.\nOne of the experts who picked IU to fall to Oklahoma, ESPN's Jay Bilas, said Saturday he is impressed with the way the Hoosiers play. He expects the Hoosiers to be the underdog once again tonight. \n"Indiana plays like a men's league team. They know how to play," Bilas said. "If I were the Indiana folks, I'd want everybody to pick against me again. Why change now?"\nWhy stop "punking," either?
(04/01/02 6:38am)
ATLANTA -- IU will play in the national championship game tonight, but you couldn't tell Sunday. \nThe Hoosiers looked loose and laid back during nearly two hours of media poking and prodding and revealed that they didn't plan to practice the day before meeting Maryland for the NCAA title. \nThe Hoosiers did head toward the Georgia Dome floor around 1 p.m. for a closed practice, but it seemed to be more of a shoot-around atmosphere than that of a down-and-dirty practice. Davis said after Saturday's win over Oklahoma that the practice would be voluntary. \nInstead of bearing down on film and running through offensive and defensive schemes, the Hoosiers relaxed. Davis has given the team Sundays off all season and during both of his seasons as the Hoosier coach, and left that plan in tact this week. Compounding his decision was that yesterday was Easter Sunday. \n"Sunday is the day for guys to go to church if they want to," said Davis, who said he is "deeply religious" and thanks God after each game, win or lose. "If my guys come in and shoot, it's on them. Now, what can you do? We know our basketball team. I don't think it makes any difference about practicing today or not."\nIU's Jarrad Odle planned to eat with his family Sunday night and turn his attention away from the pressure and building hype of the championship game. Odle said the Sundays off are welcome and didn't see a problem with maintaining the same pattern with the national championship on the line.\nIU sophomore forward Jared Jeffries cleared up the issue with a laugh Sunday, informing anyone listening that IU has been practicing twice a day since the tournament began. \n"Don't get it twisted that we haven't been going hard," Jeffries joked. "Don't think it's a big time off." \nBefore Friday's open practice, IU spent two hours prepping for Oklahoma and is expected to spend some time this morning going over Maryland. \nMaryland coach Gary Williams said he planned to have his Terrapins practice for three hours, but was talked out of it by his players. Williams prepared for a "mental practice" and understood Davis' position and convictions. \n"We'll just walk through some things today," Williams said. "Each coach has to do what's best for his team."\nANKLE AND HAMSTRING UPDATE\nJunior guard Tom Coverdale, still battling his twice-sprained left ankle, rested his foot and ankle in a tub of ice and water after Saturday's win over Oklahoma and said he'll "definitely" play tonight. \nCoverdale said his ankle has been the focus of too much attention since he re-injured it March 23 against Kent State.\nTrainers wrapped Coverdale's ankle in tape, placed an ankle brace on it, then wrapped it with tape again before the game Saturday. Coverdale scored only three points and said the injury limited his mobility, but deemed that no excuse for his five turnovers. \n"It was pretty sore after the game, but I think it will be better Monday than it was Saturday."\nMaryland coach Gary Williams said his game plan won't hinge on Coverdale's health. So did Maryland point guard Steve Blake, who will match up with Coverdale. \n"(I'm) just going to play the way I always play," Blake said. "His ankle looked fine last game."\nSophomore guard A.J. Moye is expected to play after stretching his hamstring in the second half against Oklahoma. \n'HOOSIERS' II?\nWith the national media trying to pin down IU's unexpected NCAA Tournament run, attention has turned to the similarities between IU and the fictional Hickory High in the 1986 movie, "Hoosiers," which chronicles a small school in Indiana winning the state championship.\nJeffries admitted he has already thought about who would play him and a number of his teammates. \n"Will Smith," Jeffries said without skipping a beat. \nWho would play senior guard Dane Fife? \n"Probably Woody Harrelson," Jeffries continued. "Hopefully, if we win (tonight), they'll make a 'Hoosiers II.' I've already planned it out."\nJeffries said he didn't remember watching IU's 1987 championship game, the last IU national crown, but said he watched it on videotape. Jeffries said Louisiana native Kyle Hornsby didn't see the game because he "didn't have a TV back in Louisiana then." \nIndiana natives Coverdale and Odle have recollections. \n"I remember watching it with my parents," Coverdale said. "The only thing I really remember is the last shot. If that's what people want to compare us to, that's fine"
(03/29/02 9:59pm)
ATLANTA -- The question mark continues to loom over Tom Coverdale. \nCoverdale didn't practice during IU's 50-minute session in the Georgia Dome Friday, instead resting his twice-sprained left ankle by sitting on the bench and conversing with IU coach Mike Davis. He status is still listed as questionable for IU's Final Four battle with Oklahoma Saturday.\n"They want me to rest as much as possible and wait until (Saturday)," Coverdale said. "I feel I can do some stuff on it. I haven't tested it out yet. We'll found out (Saturday). If there's any way I can play, I'll play."\nCoverdale hasn't practiced all week, but did take some jump shots during IU's morning session. He continues vigilantly icing the ankle and receiving electrical stimulation and has erased both the crutches and limp that hampered him before the Hoosiers left for Atlanta Wednesday. \nSaturday's morning practice will likely enlighten both Coverdale and his teammates on his availability for IU's first Final Four game since 1992. It will mark the first time in one week that Coverdale will be cutting and sprinting on the tender ankle. \nCoverdale's absence would be uncanny. Coverdale has played less than 30 minutes only 10 times this season and his season low for minutes played is 22, which came against UNC-Wilmington in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. \nCoverdale hasn't played more than 30 minutes since IU beat Utah in the first round, but he was injured in two of the three games. The Hoosier point guard played all but two minutes before re-spraining his left ankle against Kent State in the Regional Final with 9:35 left. \nCoverdale hasn't confirmed he will play, but others involved seem to be sure he will. \n"I think he'll definitely play," Davis said. "How much, it depends on him. He's a tough guy. To keep him out, I think it has to be broken."\nDavis has Coverdale-praising company from Oklahoma. \nEbi Ere: "I think Coverdale will play."\nHollis Price: "He's going to play. He's probably hurt, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."\nIf he can't contribute, the Hoosiers have said all week they have confidence in backup point guard Donald Perry. The freshman practiced with the first team Friday and looked loose. \nPerry has played at least 17 minutes in IU's last three games, but hasn't played more than 18 minutes since Dec. 22 against Kentucky. \n"He has no choice but to be ready," Davis said. "Will it cause some confusion and havoc? Probably will. But, it won't be anything that we haven't faced before Donald Perry."
(03/29/02 9:19pm)
Kirk Haston is enjoying IU's ride to the Final Four. But the former Hoosier is on the outside looking in. \nHaston, who left IU after his junior season and opted for the NBA Draft, is with the Charlotte Hornets, not the Hoosiers. A season after his departure, Haston is watching IU's longest NCAA Tournament run in 10 seasons instead of playing in it. \nThe Hornets made Haston the 16th pick in the draft, but the 2001 third-team All-American is playing only five minutes per game and has a career high of four points. At IU last season, he averaged 19 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and played 31 minutes per contest. \nAny regrets? \n"I'd be lying if I didn't say it's every kid's dream to play in the Final Four," Haston said Wednesday after a team shoot-around in Charlotte. "You'd like to be a part of a team like that. But there's nothing better than fulfilling a dream in the NBA either."\nThat dream has sidetracked Haston in his attempts to watch IU during its NCAA run. Haston has had to contend with Hornets games that fall during the same time slot as IU tournament matchups.\nAs IU squeaked by Duke March 21, Haston watched from a restaurant, barely containing himself. \n"I thought they were going to kick me out," Haston said. "I had a hard time not yelling at the television screen." \nCharlotte will be in Cleveland Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. IU and Oklahoma are set for a 6 p.m. start, meaning Haston will miss most of the game. But Haston has a solution.\n"I'm seriously considering taking a radio on the sideline or something because it's going to drive me nuts watching the scoreboard," Haston joked. "I might run (the radio) up through my jersey and keep my hand on the side of my head all game."\nWhat he'll hear is the name of his former frontcourt mate, sophomore Jared Jeffries, IU's leading scorer and the Big Ten Player of the Year. Jeffries scored 13.8 points per game last season, as Haston did most of IU's damage. But with Haston gone this season, Jeffries has blossomed into a second-team All-American and potential NBA Draft lottery pick, should he follow Haston's steps to leave for the NBA early. \nIU coach Mike Davis has said all season that Haston's departure helped Jeffries step into the spotlight. Jeffries' average rose from 13. 8 to 15.4, and his national notability skyrocketed. \nStill, Davis can't help but think of what might have been had Haston and Jeffries had one more season together.\n"I would love for Kirk and J.J. to be together because I think it would have been a great combination," Davis said. "Kirk Haston is a heck of a player."\nBut Jeffries isn't the only one who has seen his production climb because of the void left by Haston's departure. With Jeffries collecting the majority of opponents' attention, senior Jarrad Odle and junior Jeff Newton have replaced Haston's scoring and inside presence. Senior Dane Fife has also benefitted by picking up some of the scoring slack. \nThe trio of Odle, Newton and Fife combined to average just 14.5 points per game last season. They're scoring a combined 25.6 points per game this season. \n"J.J. has been the go-to guy this year," Haston said. "But the people who have benefitted more (since I left) are Dane and Odle."\nThe current Hoosiers, who have seen the benefits firsthand, agree. \n"Without J.J., we have Newton and Odle, who do a great job, but J.J. is our go-to guy," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said. "Everybody knows it."\nAnd if Haston had stayed in cream and crimson, would Jeffries have spent his sophomore season lurking in the lanky shadow of the 6-foot-10 former Hoosier? Haston isn't so sure Jeffries wouldn't be carrying the load. \n"He wasn't too far behind last year as far as being a top-quality player," Haston said. "If I helped him at all, I'd be more than happy that I did. He is still one of better players I have ever played one-on-one."\nAnd Haston could still be playing alongside Jeffries, on a team that might still be heading to the Final Four.\nStill sure there are no regrets? \n"You can't play what-if all your life," Haston said. "That will drive you crazy"
(03/29/02 9:15pm)
Jeff Newton and A.J. Moye will enjoy their trip back to Atlanta, the city they both call home. \nIt's a warm and fuzzy story, full of anecdotes and emotion. \nBut make no mistake, IU's two top bench scorers aren't headed to the Final Four to visit family and friends or their old stomping grounds. \n"I'm not going there to sightsee," said Moye, a sophomore guard. "I've seen everything in Atlanta. I'm not going there to relax or have a family reunion.\n"I'm going there to beat Oklahoma."\nHe'll get that chance Saturday, when IU faces the Sooners in the Final Four. But amid the talk of defense and offense, emotion seeps through. Part of Moye and Newton's story is splashed across their arms -- and requires some attention. \nMoye and Newton lost a close friend two years ago, when Travis Davenport died of complications from an enlarged heart. Davenport, a 19-year-old, was a fellow basketball player who scoured the gyms of Atlanta to team up with Moye and Newton during summers, Moye said. \nMoye, Newton and Davenport ran around with a group of friends Moye refers to as the "P.O. Boys." When Davenport died during Newton's freshman year at IU and Moye's senior year at Westlake High School, the group of friends decided to etch their friend not only into their memory, but also their skin. \nA tattoo rests on Moye's right arm, with the words "One Luv" wrapped around a picture of an angel clad in a basketball jersey. No. 40 and "Trap," Davenport's nickname, are on the jersey.\n"I miss him," Moye said. "Not a day goes by where I don't think about him. We all had his name and jersey tattooed on us."\nDavenport's personality also made an impression on Moye, who said he tried to live his life by the guidelines set forth by Davenport, who attended a rival high school of Westlake, where Moye graduated from in 1999. Newton graduated in 1998 from Mays High School, another rival. Through high school games against one another and pick-up contests on the same side, the three became friends. \nMoye dips his head and reveals an emotional side when discussing Davenport and the effect his death has had. \n"I feel like this whole year he kind of guided us through," Moye said. "He's like a guardian angel for Newt and me and the rest of our friends."\nIt seems that Davenport has watched. Newton and Moye are IU's third- and fourth-leading NCAA Tournament scorers, respectively, and both have been instrumental in IU's first Final Four trip since 1992. Since the beginning of this school year, Moye and Newton have had their eye on a sentimental trip back to Atlanta. \nAfter IU's one-point win over Duke and a lights-out shooting performance against Kent State, IU erased the memories of NCAA Tournament follies and got Moye and Newton their wish. \n"We said it back in August," Newton said. "Me and A.J. said we were going home to the Final Four, and it worked out."\nWith the trip home comes visits with family and friends, which Moye said he hopes to do once the Hoosiers arrive in Atlanta tonight. Next on the to-do list is getting fans tickets, something Newton said hasn't been a snap. \n"Everybody I know wants tickets," Newton said. "I have no idea how I'm going to get them."\nBut there's someone who won't need a ticket. Moye said he's sure Davenport will be somewhere in the Georgia Dome. \n"I know he'll be watching over us," he said.
(03/29/02 9:12pm)
Ankle madness didn't stop after sophomore Jared Jeffries. \nIt spread to junior Tom Coverdale. It's become a mini-epidemic that has followed the Hoosiers through the NCAA Tournament, continuing right up until the Final Four. It's infected IU's top two scorers and put the Hoosiers at risk in nearly half of their games this season. \nSo why would anything change for IU's biggest game in some 15 seasons? It won't. \nJeffries is better but still not 100 percent. Coverdale will have to battle pain, swelling and medical reasoning to even play. \nIU's hopes of upending Oklahoma and heading to the national championship game rest not on the shoulders of Jeffries and Coverdale, but on their ankles. And mostly on that pesky, twice-sprained left ankle of Coverdale, IU's offensive commander. \n"I rolled it pretty good," said Coverdale, who sprained the ankle in IU's first round win over Utah then again in the South Regional Final against Kent State last weekend. "I just hope it keeps improving. I can't jog on it right now, but I think by (Saturday), it will be better."\nCoverdale injured the ankle during a drive to the bucket midway through the second half of IU's 81-69 victory over the Golden Flashes and spent the rest of the night sitting in a folding chair near the IU bench. Eventually, Jeffries guided Coverdale on a wheelchair joy ride and helped the hobbled guard up the ladder to slice a piece of the championship net. \nSince Saturday, Coverdale has received treatment three times per day, electrically stimulated the ankle and kept it planted in an ice boot, which circulates cold water around the injury and keeps swelling minimal. He sleeps in the ice boot and walks with the aid of crutches. \nAll of that medical attention should help him prepare for substantial playing time Saturday, but IU fans aren't convinced. Coverdale will leave those decisions up to Tim Garl, the team trainer, and Dr. Larry Rink, the team physician. IU coach Mike Davis said Wednesday Coverdale is "50-50."\n"I ask people to quit calling (Garl) with their miracle healings, because he's gotten about a million phone calls," Coverdale said. "Anywhere from acupuncture to stick it in vinegar to all this crazy stuff. He's a trainer here and (has ) been here for a long time, so I think he knows what he's doing. I'll just listen to what he says."\nCoverdale insists that he wants to play but doesn't seem as upbeat as he was most of the season. The decision regarding his playing time will be a combination of the thoughts of Coverdale, Garl and Davis.\nSome teammates don't seem convinced the decision will be a thumbs-up. But they've rested their belief in freshman Donald Perry, who replaced Coverdale for the final nine minutes against Kent State. \n"If (Tom) is hobbling too much, Donald can do a great job," junior Kyle Hornsby said. "I have faith in Donald. He's going to do a good job if Cov is having some problems."\nCoverdale has had his share of problems over the final stretch of the season. Since IU's loss at Illinois Feb. 26, Coverdale has battled back spasms and the ankle sprains. But he's made the most of playing through the pain. He was named second-team All-Big Ten and was the South Regional's Most Outstanding Player. \nThose are two awards that seemed far fetched three seasons ago, when Coverdale arrived in Bloomington after a season of prep ball at New Hampton Prep School in New Hampshire. Coverdale attended New Hampton Prep after winning the Indiana's Mr. Basketball award in 1998, but then-IU coach Bob Knight figured a season of prep school basketball would benefit the 6-foot-2 Coverdale. \nIt didn't make much of an impact the next season, when Coverdale played a grand total of 41 minutes. That all changed last season, when Davis took over for the fired Knight and allowed Coverdale to conduct the Hoosier offense. Over the past two seasons, the Noblesville, Ind., native has scored more than 11 points per game and helped IU to 45 victories while not missing one game. \nThat's what makes the injury, those crutches and the possibility of not playing in the Final Four aggravating for Coverdale. \n"Whether I'm 100 percent or not, I just want to play," Coverdale said. "Not many people can say they played in a Final Four, and it's something I dreamed about since I was a little kid. The main concern is not how healthy I'll be, but whether I'll be out there with my team."\nSo will he be? Davis is convinced. \n"I haven't given him any (home remedies)," Davis said. "He'll get enough. Tim Garl is good. He's one of the best in the business. He'll get him ready"
(03/07/02 5:49am)
With Jared Jeffries' ankle slowly on the mend and Tom Coverdale's back spasms gradually cooperating, IU prepared for the Big Ten Tournament Wednesday. \nThe nagging injuries to IU's top two scorers forced the Hoosiers to do so lightly. \nMRI results revealed nothing new in Jeffries' right ankle, allowing the sophomore to go through drills before riding a stationary bike for the remainder of practice. The ankle is still swollen and sore, Coach Mike Davis said, but Jeffries will be ready for IU's opening game in the tournament, an 11:30 a.m. contest with Michigan State Friday in Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse. \nDavis said should IU win its first two games and advance to the championship game, Jeffries should be able to play in all three games. \n"At some point, adrenaline and desire take over, and my desire to win this Big Ten Tournament is there," Jeffries said. "As long as my ankle will allow me, I'm going to play the best ball that I can."\nCoverdale will attempt to do the same while fighting off back soreness that began before IU played at Illinois Feb. 26. Coverdale, a junior, has worn a back brace during practices this week, but said he plans to play without it Friday. He wore it during warm-ups against Northwestern Saturday, then took it off for the game and scored a team-high 20 points. \n"If it starts hurting (Friday), I'm going to have to put it on," Coverdale said of the brace. "It's not that big of a deal; it's not real comfortable, though."\nDuring his junior season at Noblesville High School, Coverdale endured similar back spasms that forced him to wear a similar brace. \nCoverdale plans to practice lightly again Thursday before the team leaves for a bus ride to Indianapolis, where it will stay throughout its run in the Big Ten Tournament.
(03/05/02 6:30am)
The fuss over the Big Ten Player of the Year keeps brewing. \nThe Big Ten will announce its awards today -- All-Big Ten teams and individual honors -- but coaches let their thoughts fly Monday. \nIllinois' Bill Self touted junior guard Frank Williams. Michigan State's Tom Izzo flaunted sophomore guard Marcus Taylor. IU's Mike Davis boasted about sophomore forward Jared Jeffries. \nAll three, as well as Ohio State senior guard Brian Brown and Wisconsin junior guard Kirk Penney are believed to have a shot at picking up the honor, won by Williams last season. \nThe award is voted on by media and coaches, but has been split only three times since the media began voting in 1987.\nJeffries appeared to have the award in his grasp early in the Big Ten season, but an ankle injury slowed his play and dented his chances. \nDavis is still campaigning on Jeffries' behalf and was at it again Monday, saying IU wouldn't have won a share of the Big Ten crown and arguing that last season's Big Ten Freshman of the Year helped players like seniors Jarrad Odle and Dane Fife have their best seasons in Bloomington.\n"I think what we've accomplished this year was (because of Jeffries)," Davis said. "If he doesn't go down with an ankle injury, where are we today? Outright champs, I think. I think he's definitely player of the year."\nJeffries' average dipped to 15.1 points per game, seventh in the Big Ten, and his rebounds fell to 7.9 still good for second in the league.\nWhile Jeffries missed IU's loss to Wisconsin and struggled to average just more than eight points per game since the injury, Williams and Taylor caught fire. \nWilliams led the Fighting Illini to eight consecutive victories and a share of the Big Ten title. He's averaging 13.4 points and 3.8 assists per game in the conference. Should Williams win, he would become the third player to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Ohio State's Jim Jackson did in 1991 and 1992, and Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves repeated the feat in 1998 and 1999. \n"A month ago, Jeffries did deserve it, no question about it," Self said. "He was the best player on the best team at that time. But Frank has elevated his game. I know where my vote's going."\nTaylor exploded for career highs in back-to-back games, with 32 in a win at Ohio State Feb. 26 and 34 against Iowa Saturday. He finished as the Big Ten's top scorer at 17.7 points per game and the leader in assists at 5.0 per game. \n"For the most part, Jeffries has had an incredible run this year and he struggled a little late," Izzo said. "I think Marcus is deserving of consideration because of what he's done for this team and where he's taken this team."\nMinnesota in?\nBig Ten coaches agree that five teams -- Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois, IU and Michigan State -- are locks for NCAA Tournament berths. But the wild card is Minnesota, which has beaten IU and Ohio State, but lost four of its last six, including letting a late lead slip away at home against Illinois Sunday. \nGolden Gopher coach Dan Monson is worried, and has expressed his concern since the Gophers began to struggle. \n"Our 9-7 record is normally one people would take in a heartbeat before the season," Monson said. "But it's one people are scoffing at right now"
(03/01/02 6:11am)
Any piece -- no matter if it's divided two, three or four ways -- is better than none. \nAsk IU, which looked primed for its first Big Ten championship since 1993 before losing back-to-back games at Michigan State and No. 15 Illinois. \nIU muffed its chances to win the league outright, but the No. 25 Hoosiers get one more crack at halting the nine-year Big Ten drought at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when they welcome Northwestern to Assembly Hall on Senior Day. With a victory, IU will guarantee itself at least a share of the Big Ten crown. \nWisconsin clinched a piece of the title and the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tournament with a win over Michigan Wednesday. Ohio State and Illinois can also share the championship with victories this weekend. The Buckeyes play at Michigan Saturday, and Illinois travels to Minnesota Sunday. \n"If we share it between two teams, I can live with that," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said. "Sharing it between three and four teams takes a little luster out of the title. I'll take it right now, though."\nTo do that, IU (18-10, 10-5 Big Ten) will need to dispose of upstart Northwestern (16-11, 7-8), which has never won in Assembly Hall and hasn't won in Bloomington since 1968. The Wildcats have beaten the Hoosiers only three times since 1970. \nBut things won't be that easy this time around. \nNorthwestern has already beaten Wisconsin, Michigan State and Minnesota and nearly upended Ohio State Feb. 2 in Columbus. The Wildcats hung with IU in both teams' Big Ten opener Jan. 2, before the Hoosiers pulled away to win 59-44 in Evanston, Ill. \nBecause of a low RPI, the Wildcats are doubtful for an NCAA Tournament berth but could solidify their NIT chances with a victory. Win or lose, the Wildcats will be the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, their highest seed in the five-year history of the tournament. \n"At this time last year, we didn't have a game that meant anything," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "Our margin for error is very slim. We can't have anyone not play well. Maybe we're a little bit of a surprise, but we should be winning some games."\nThe Wildcats haven't done that in their last two games, losing to Illinois and at Minnesota Wednesday. In those games, they hit 4-of-42 three pointers and shot just 28 percent from the field. \nNorthwestern's second-leading scorer, Jitim Young, went 6 of 20 from the field at Minnesota. Junior guard Winston Blake leads the Wildcats at 13.5 points per game. Young, a sophomore guard, is second at 12.4, and senior forward Tavaras Hardy averages 12.0. \nIU has also struggled in its last two games, blowing a 16-point first-half lead at Michigan State and battling technical fouls and an early 14-point deficit at Illinois. \nIU also played much of the second half at Illinois without leading scorer Jared Jeffries, who coach Mike Davis said is still not 100 percent after a sprained ankle sidelined him for IU's loss against Wisconsin. In the four games since the injury, two of which IU lost, Jeffries has been limited to seven points per game. \nJeffries scored a game-high 17 points in the first matchup with Northwestern and helped hold the Wildcats frontcourt to 19 points. The 6-foot-10 sophomore isn't expected to be at 100 percent tomorrow but is on the way back. \n"He'll definitely be 100 percent at the Big Ten Tournament," Davis said. "He's not 100 percent right now, but we can't make excuses."\nJeffries had help against the Wildcats last time out. Senior Jarrad Odle exploded for a then-career-high 16 points and 15 rebounds, junior guard Tom Coverdale scored 13 and Hornsby dumped in nine. \nThat win ignited IU's best Big Ten start since the championship season of 1993, with the Hoosiers winning seven of the first eight. Since then, IU has dropped four of seven and seen its grip on the Big Ten title slip. \nSaturday offers a chance at redemption and momentum heading toward the post-season. \n"It gets things rolling for the Big Ten Tournament," Hornsby said. "Get a win, play well and play hard. Don't come out and halfway do it and get a win. That's not the kind of steam we need to build up"
(03/01/02 5:29am)
The only time in 96 years of basketball four teams tied for the Big Ten championship, was when Chicago went 4-8 in the league and Michigan State wasn't a member of the conference. \nIt's been 76 years since IU, Purdue, Michigan and Iowa all tallied 8-4 league records on their way to sharing the title four ways. \nThe drought that has lasted more than three-quarters of a century could come crashing down this weekend. \nWisconsin did its part Wednesday by beating Michigan and forcing No. 25 IU, No. 18 Ohio State and No. 15 Illinois -- all with 10-5 records, trailing Wisconsin by one-half game -- to win this weekend if they want a piece of the Big Ten crown. \nIU plays host to Northwestern and Ohio State treks to Michigan Saturday, while Illinois heads to Minnesota Sunday. \nHaving one league champion, much less four, with five losses is something that has happened only twice (IU in 1980 and 1983). \n"It's unusual," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "It's been a strange year in our league."\nOnly once in the five seasons the Big Ten has used a 16-game schedule has any team won an outright championship. Michigan State won the Big Ten with a 15-1 league record in 1999. In Big Ten history, three teams have shared the championship five times, and the crown has been split between two teams 21 times.\n"Our league is so jumbled," Self said. \nJust ask anyone trying to solve the Big Ten tiebreaking scheme. \nWisconsin's championship, its first since 1947 (the same year Badger coach Bo Ryan was born), gives the Badgers the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tournament, no matter what happens this weekend. If IU, Ohio State and Illinois all win and create a four-way championship, Ohio State will be the No. 2 seed, Illinois the No. 3 seed and IU the No. 4 seed. \nThe tiebreaker for a multiple-team tie uses each team's record against the teams with which it is tied. Wisconsin is 3-1 against IU, Ohio State and Illinois, giving it the top seed. Ohio State is 2-2 against Wisconsin, IU and Illinois, giving it the No. 2 seed. Illinois and IU are both 2-3 against the three teams they're tied with. \nBecause IU and Illinois both have the same record against the other top teams, the next line in the tiebreaker uses overall record against NCAA Division-I opponents. Illinois is 22-7; IU is 17-10, giving the No. 3 seed to the Fighting Illini. \nIf Wisconsin, IU and Ohio State tie for the title, OSU would get the No. 2 seed and IU the No. 3. \nIf Wisconsin, IU and Illinois tie for first, Illinois would get the No. 2 seed and IU the No. 3. \nIf Wisconsin, Ohio State and Illinois tie for the top spot, OSU would get the No. 2 seed and Illinois the No. 3. \nThe cluttered standings and even records have led many to criticize the Big Ten, but many coaches aren't buying it. \n"When the games go as they've gone, people tend to think that the league's down," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said. "(But teams) are playing well."
(02/27/02 5:58am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Frank Williams' last two games against IU were ones he'd rather forget. Half of his final season at Illinois has been far from storybook. \nThe 6-foot-3 point guard has been under the scrutiny of the media, fans and his coach and had the struggles of his team pinned on his back. \nThe Fighting Illini are back, and so is Williams. \nHe won't forget Tuesday. \nWilliams, who played his final home game for Illinois and will leave for the NBA Draft this summer, buried his naysayers under a game-high 24 points, six rebounds and three assists and knocked No. 25 IU into its first two-game losing streak since mid-December with a 70-62 Fighting Illini victory, something No. 15 Illinois hadn't done in its previous two games against IU. \n"It was big to just play against Indiana," Williams said. "The name of the game, Illinois versus Indiana. We knew they kicked us pretty hard, and we didn't feel that again."\nWilliams' last two games against IU didn't produce much of a box score. He went 9 of 29 in the two losses, scored 28 points and tallied only six assists. Tuesday, he hit 8 of 19 from the field and scored nine of Illinois' 10 points during an 18-10 IU run that enabled the Hoosiers to draw within two points with 3:09 remaining. \nWilliams' ability to drive, create and hit free throws kept the Illini (22-7, 10-5 Big Ten) in front and drained IU's (18-10, 10-5) momentum.\n"He stepped up another level," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said. "He really wanted this game and we did too, but we couldn't take it from him."\nAnd not only in the second half. Williams helped the Illini fight a slow start by scoring nine of the first 13 points. He hit a fancy reverse layup, a three pointer from the top of the key and free throws, displaying his shooting ability and slick moves from all over the court. \nThen Williams scored six of the Illini's final 12 points to help Illinois to a 36-24 lead, the largest deficit IU has faced at the break all season. It was also only the sixth time IU trailed at the half; the Hoosiers are now 2-4 when trailing at halftime. \n"Frank showed some toughness," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "I don't know if I've been around a college player that's taken more heat. He's responded like a man should respond."\nThe same Self lightly scolded Williams earlier in the season, saying he didn't play hard at all times. Williams has complained this season that he has been playing tired and hasn't had the same energy he displayed in winning the Big Ten Player of the Year honors a season ago. \nTuesday, that all seemed a distant memory. \nWilliams shuffled by all three IU guards and got two of the three in foul trouble. Junior Tom Coverdale picked up three first-half fouls, and senior Dane Fife played the final eight minutes with four.\n"It really hurt us because Coverdale is the only guy who can handle the basketball," IU coach Mike Davis said.\nCoverdale and Fife each spent time defending Williams in the previous two games against Illinois, but that blanketing defense vanished Tuesday. \nIU's impressions of Williams, who likely stirred support for a second consecutive Player of the Year award, haven't. \n"He's never in a hurry," Hornsby said. "People were badmouthing him early in the season saying he didn't play hard. Maybe sometimes he wasn't but he never plays in a hurry, and that's one of his keys. He played really well."\nWell enough to avenge IU's 31-point beating and 17 three pointers in Bloomington Jan. 26. Now, Illinois has a shot at its second consecutive Big Ten crown. And Williams is primarily to thank. \n"Our mentality was to come out and get them back and get the last laugh," Williams said. \n"We played with a lot more passion, heart and character"